Review: Green Street Hooligans

"Hooligans" is a great, gritty British movie, but how to describe it in one SAT-style analogy...oh, I know.

Green Street Hooligans: "football" :: Trainspotting: "heroin."

Ok, so I came up with that while watching the movie and thought it was pretty funny. The two films are similar for some reason...though I can't place it, must just be the cammeraderie and the (not similar at all) accents involved.

Some of the critics have mentioned that this film is pretty bankrupt due to its lack of a moral, or rather that it does have a moral..."We learn that violence is bad, except when it feels good, or helps solve our problems." Gary Thompson, Philadelphia Daily News.

Something, though, about this movie really involves the audience. Upon sitting here and reflecting a little, I'm upset that the writer/director/filmmaker did a poor job of fleshing out these really gripping and deep characters in favor of a good smash-up.

Elijah Wood gives a great performance as the "Yank" who gets involved with the Green Street Elite. I didn''t know if I could stand seeing Frodo in another non-Tolkien role...in my mind, I have that battling Shelob grimace pasted on any of the photos I've seen since...but he turns from shy, cowardly yankee to a football hooligan with a swagger very nicely. Brilliant performance.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5
RIYL: Transpotting; Snatch; Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels; etc, and it must be mentioned although I haven't seen it, yet, the original football hooligan film, The Firm (1988).